Ailing Pelé skips England appearance
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (AP): PELE HAS cancelled a trip to England, where the 77-year-old Brazilian was to receive an award from the country’s Football Writers Association.
Pelé’s spokesman said yesterday that the cancellation was due to fatigue.
“He didn’t travel because it was going to be too exhausting to go and come back shortly afterwards. That’s all it is,” spokesman Pepito Fornos told the Associated Press. “He is at his home in Guaruja with his family resting and doing physiotherapy.”
Fornos said Pelé, who has frequently been admitted to hospitals in the last few years for kidney and prostate procedures, decided to stay home after a series of business events in Rio de Janeiro. At one of those, Pelé used a walker on stage. On other occasions, he has needed the help of a wheelchair.
SCHEDULE REDUCTION
Although Pelé is still planning to attend this year’s World Cup in Russia, Fornos said the Brazil great has reduced his international schedule lately so he can do more physiotherapy to deal with his hip problems.
“Pele used to make two long trips every month, those that put him in a plane for more than 10 hours,” Fornos said. “But now we cut that to one. Doctors say he shouldn’t travel one time after the other.”
On Tuesday, Pelé made fun of the walker he used at the opening ceremony of the Rio state championship.
“I decided to come in with this,” Pelé joked. “God gave me those new boots and I decided to show them.”